Art of subtlety [Cel, Namiko, Closed]

[Jun]

Jun had always admired the Unseelie gardens. He remembered faintly his time as a child spent climbing the branches of the stunningly beautiful trees to hide from his mother, then consequently being chided by the pixies who felt he threatened their work. This thought brought a ghost of a smile to his face as he made picked his way along the cobble path that lead to the throne. Jun took his time- he was in no hurry. In fact, his ears were still straining to hear any sound of Ren. The younger boy had vanished early this morning, insisting on having somewhere to go, but had promised to meet Jun for their audience with the King.

The Nimbus shook his head gently as he sighed. Ren had been awfully secretive lately, something that thoroughly pained Jun. Jun knew the younger boy was hiding something and though Jun had a suspicion as to what it could be, he had made no conclusion yet. Jun had attempted to speak to Ren about it, but the boy had been exceptionally vague, dismissing the talk with an exceptional nonchalance that eerily unlike him. Still, Jun had observed his younger brother’s change in demeanor. Ren had become more cheerful as of late. He rarely balked with any exceptional bit of anger, but the two brothers were still struggling to get along. Jun had been wracking his brain to attempt to come up with a way to rectify their differences, but he had merely come up empty.

As of late Jun had been struck more and more often by insomnia, and it was beginning to take its toll on his appearance. At the moment, Jun had enlisted the help of his glamour to erase the deep circles underlining his eyes, and the fatigue that had crept across his face. Jun had no idea what had brought on the onslaught of bad dreams and uneasiness he felt. It was a sense of foreboding that he could not shake and yet there was no viable reason to explain his unnatural uneasiness. The situation frustrated him, but in typical Jun fashion, he was shoving aside his own problems, his own weaknesses, in order to better face the problems of the court.

Since Ren had informed Jun of what had happened to him in the Underdark, Jun had been pondering whether or not to approach the King on this matter. Finally, the Nimbus had decided that even if he did not mention it, that there was still a necessity to seek an audience with the Monarch. And so now here he was, dressed in a navy blue button down shirt and accompanying black vest, black tie, and perfectly pressed black dress pants. His sleeves were rolled up per usual, revealing the cobalt blue, white striped snake curling around his left forearm. He approached the throne relatively slowly, but with purpose, his posture straight, a smile on his lips. The sound of feet behind him slightly reassured him that Ren had indeed shown up as had been requested of him, though Jun did not make a move to look back to his brother.

[Ren]

This was not the way Ren wanted to spend his free time. Ren had heard way too many rumors about King Cel, and though he had never really met the man –albeit briefly being the same proximity as him not too long ago- he already didn’t like him. Still, Ren had no choice but to do his brother’s bidding and thus he had shown up as requested. He had even taken the time to dress a bit more ‘appropriately’ as his brother would call it, in a pair of nice (but baggy) dark blue jeans, black boots, a red deep v-neck shirt with a large black cardigan sweater pulled over it but left unbuttoned. The cardigan’s sleeves had been pushed up (a habit he shared with his brother), revealing only half of the snake that curled around the whole of his right arm. He was sloppier than his brother who constantly dressed to impress, but Ren absolutely refused to wear a suit. There was no need to parade around in front of the King dressed in a manner that basically faked his identity. Ren would be Ren, and if the King didn’t like it, well…Still, Ren knew he would have to stay his tongue if he was to keep it.

That morning Ren had rushed off early to meet up with Namiko. He had been spending the majority of his time with the small nimbus female, partly because he was enamored with her, and partly because he was using her as an escape from the drab and dreary Unseelie court life. So far he had kept his friendship with her a secret from his brother, merely because he wasn’t sure if Jun would approve, and he was reluctant to share all his secrets with Jun. After all, Jun kept secrets from Ren, so why couldn’t Ren keep his own secrets? However, when Jun had suggested that they seek an audience with the King, Ren had immediately thought of Namiko. He knew the girl hadn’t yet met with Cel, and Ren was afraid of her meeting the King alone. He had grown fiercely possessive of the other Nimbus and felt that he ought to be there when she did finally meet the King, just incase something did happen.

So now here he was, Namiko in tow, following his brother down the cobblestone path to the throne. Ren shoved his hands into his pockets and narrowed his rust swirled eyes in on his brother’s back. Even though the two of them had not been getting along lately, Ren was slightly worried about the older male. He had noticed Jun sitting up late at night, staring at the wall or pacing in the main area of their living quarters. Though Ren knew nothing of what bothered his brother, he knew that the lack of sleep couldn’t be healthy. He had meant to bring it up early that morning, when he had woken to find his brother still sitting in the same position he had been before Ren had gone to bed, but he had completely forgotten in his hurry to go find Namiko.

As Ren entered the main throne area he kept quiet and merely came up beside his brother. He knew Jun would notice Namiko right away, but there would be no need for him to mention her presence until after their meeting with the King. When they came to a stop, Ren shifted his weight slightly and removed his hands from his pockets, letting his arms fall loose. He inwardly hoped this meeting would go quickly.

[Namiko]

The lithe woman had a certain radiance about her as she strode next to Ren's significantly taller form. Her strides were rushed and occasionally uneven to keep up, but that wasn't unusual for her so she barely noticed it by now. They turned down a corridor, and Jun seemed to just appear in front of them. She startled for a moment before looking up to Ren's face, which showed no signs of alarm or surprise. Was that his brother then? He'd mentioned that she'd finally get to meet him today, but his enthusiasm had been a bit... lacking.

She hadn't asked about it because, well, she didn't feel it was any of her business. If he wanted to tell her about it, he would. Maybe something else entirely had been troubling him, who knew? Her high heels created an echoing clink behind Ren's more casual and full footfalls. His brother didn't turn to them while they walked down the wide hallway, and she wondered if he had a warning that she was tagging along. Ren would have definitely mentioned it, or he'd have turned at the sounds of more than just one pair of steps. She was just being nervous, meeting all these people for the first time.

Would Jun like her? If he didn't, would Ren stop coming to see her? Almost every morning she could count on his roguish grin at her door, looking bright and majestic in the morning light. She had a dream that they kissed once, but then she'd woken up to him at her door and had nearly gone white with wondering whether it really happened or not. That had been an awkward day, one he'd let go and not asked about. Small victory for her!

When Ren moved out beside the man who was probably his brother, Namiko took her position forward at Ren's side again. She watched the other nimbus adjust his pose, and as his arms came loose their fingers brushed lightly. Her pinky quivered to maintain the contact, feeling very much like holding his hand for comfort but knowing it would be out of place. She could feel a fine invisible shake going through her legs, not helped at all by the tall heels. It was probably best that she didn't say anything unless asked, so she simply looked down at the ground and waited for what would come or who would speak first.

[King Cel]

Like so many times before it, the king was seated upon his throne, fingers tightly interlaced and his dark gaze downcast in some form of thought. His already angular face was made even more angular by dark stubble that only served to add to his dark features. For many men the stubble would be a sign of albatross but Cel’s appearance was not so unkempt or unruly that it would lead someone to believe he was burdened by any tremendous stress. Though he might have looked like less of a king with the light stubble he looked more like Cel, the Prince of Flesh and Darkness, the sidhe who won the favor of the Darkling throng not so long ago.

The sound of the doors to the throne room opening, prompted him to look up. Three faerie made their way towards him, a plain and rather uninteresting gaggle of nimbus. The two men, from his vantage point, held some similarities that he was to unconcerned to study further. The King figured they were related somehow or perhaps they had been acquaintances for some time. Immortal beings tended to pick up the tendencies of those who they remained close to for long periods of time, so much so that two completely unrelated faerie could be mistaken as brother and sister in the way they acted. Cel had seen this only a few times for faerie did not tend to keep company for extended periods of time.

His vision then passed on to the woman they were with. As usual, Cel was most interested in her. He never missed an opportunity to enjoy the sight of beautiful women. So as he drank her tiny frame in, the modest beauty of the nimbus woman, he couldn’t help but smile his usual hungry smile. He sat up, the roses that crawled across walls also coming to life with his movement. ”Welcome to the Unseelie palace.”

His voice echoed throughout the throne room, resounding off the obsidian walls and riddled with power.

[Jun]

Though Jun was perturbed by the echoing sounds of Namiko’s heels, an indication that his brother had not come alone, he was satisfied to know that suspicion had been correct; his brother was in the company of a female. This conclusion brought little ease to Jun’s mind- the fact that Ren had hidden the girl from him was troubling. Though the older Nimbus could think of no viable reason for Ren to hide this woman, he decided to address the situation later, out of the presence of the King.

His eyes never once glanced to the side to acknowledge his brother and the woman he had brought, though he did note them out of the corner of his eye. Jun was pleased to see that Ren had attempted to dress appropriately and had they been anywhere else, Jun would have allowed the smile that tugged at his lips to unfold. As for the girl –a more appropriate noun than woman- she was what Jun would have expected. Ren was a boy whose bravado attracted a large range of women, but whose tastes were simple, plain. This girl was pretty, yes, but not mind-boggling so. Her beauty was in her innocence and Jun knew it was that innocence that had probably attracted Ren.

Jun would have time to speak to her later, a time he looked forward to. For now, his attention was solely on the King. No sooner had the King spoken Jun dropped into a sweeping bow, one hand over his chest, his eyes maintaining contact with the King. There was no challenge behind his gaze; merely a look of mutual respect. Jun would trust that a King like Cel would understand the risks that came with an aversion of the eyes. As he straightened, his back and shoulders straight- the very visage of a proper nobleman, Jun spoke, ”King Cel, I am Jun, Conri of the Unseelie Court, Lord of Slight Illusion. Beside me is my brother Ren, Lord of Roan Illusion.” He neglected to mention the other titles, as they were identical to his own and Jun was somewhat certain that King Cel had no desire to listen to redundancy. As for the girl, since he knew nothing of her he could not speak for her.

”We have come to extend our gratitude for your recognition. I must apologize for not seeking a direct audience with you earlier my King, but you seemed quite preoccupied and I wish not to disturb you.” Jun dipped his head again, yet his eye contact did not waver, ”I have come to personally pledge my allegiance to you and the Unseelie court. My talents are yours to command.” His voice was smooth and strong, the truth behind them unwavering. Though Jun’s words were serious, there was a softness to him, his natural warmth quite readily seen amongst the dark beauty of the Unseelie Throne.

[Ren]

Ren could almost sense Namiko’s uneasiness and when his hand brushed hers he too ached to clasp it in his own. Still, subtle insecurities wrapped tightly around his brain and kept his hand withdrawn, his fingers twitching slightly. As he came next to his brother, Ren noticed the sideways glance but said nothing. The fact that Jun could maintain his composure so perfectly had always pissed Ren off. It was almost as if his brother was a robot- incapable of feeling surprise, anger, or even extreme happiness. Ren could hardly remember a time when Jun had yelled at him or gotten even marginally upset. Hell, he couldn’t even think of a time when Jun had cried. And now, as his brother presented a warm smile to the King, Ren was faced with a swelling desire to sock his brother in the face. Instead he refrained and took to watching King Cel.

Ren’s eyes followed the King’s own and when they hesitated on Namiko Ren instantly tensed. He recognized that smile on King Cels face – he was a man too after all, a master at reading smiles at that. Ren forced himself to maintain his position; the King was known to be somewhat unpredictable. If he showed an immediate affinity for Namiko, Ren knew nothing of how the King would react. Instead his index and middle fingers of his right hand twitched ever so slightly, itching to bend to release the trigger holding his bracer blade at bay. Light always, Ren bore the weapon openly, content that its relatively obscure form would allow him some surprise security when it came initiating an attack.

At his brother’s words, Ren imitated his bow as he had been trained to do. There was something rather forced about it. Though Ren had no real reason to dislike Cel, the very matter of bowing to someone else was something Ren was not well versed in. It went against every fiber of his being. For the next few bits of his brother’s speech, Ren remained silent. When he finally did speak, his voice was rough, and somewhat strained- much like a dog pulling against a chain, ”As do I, my King.”

[Namiko]

When they moved in front of the throne, Namiko hadn't looked at the King directly. She'd been worried if she was allowed to or not. She could see his frame from the top of her vision, letting her eyes flicker left and right to the rose-covered walls with great interest. Had she ever been in here before? Slightly oblivious to Ren's tension, she finally looked up and did her best not to gape. In a way very different from Ren, the King was surprisingly handsome. Unused to the glamour of Sidhe beings, she was surprised to realize her mind had momentarily lost track of the last minute or so.

Shaking out of it, she caught that Jun was just finishing his introduction, so she went into a sweeping curtsy and short bow at the last, right after Ren spoke. "Thank you for your welcome, King Cel. I'm Namiko, also a Conri, Mistress of Slight Illusion." Her hands shifted awkwardly when she looked at the throne again. How stupid would she look if she sat there bespelled all day? The urge to flicker her eyes at Ren was too hard to ignore, but he seemed stoic and unreadable.

Never had she met Cel in person, and honestly, she was out of the loop. She'd hardly heard anything about the man. There were two totally unfamiliar fae in the room with her and she was totally out of her element. This wasn't the kind of situation she ever sought out or felt comfortable in, and she felt like she was going to be inspected... possibly by both of them. She didn't know if she was capable of impressing either one, but both were equally as important. Ren's brother.... and the King himself. Her chest rose a little higher as she tried to calm her pulse. Just don't fuck up.

[King Cel]

Cel was no feline; eye contact did not mean challenge to him less it was truly meant to be interpreted that way. In fact, the king respected Jun’s gaze as very few had the will to look upon a sidhe without becoming totally mesmerized. The King was under no illusion that he was the fairest of the sidhe nor did he posses the magic that made others wanton puppies, but he was still a sidhe and therefore his magic was more alluring than any other creature’s.

Upon looking at the two Cel could immediately tell which brother was more versed in courtly politics. Jun was more level-headed, aware that Cel had not ascended to his position of power by being a pushover or by being a slouch with the blade. Ren’s actions seemed to be forced as if he was still grappling with the idea that the king of the Unseelie court was his dominant. If Ren wished to press the issue then he could find that Cel would oblige him in showing why he was a King and why Ren was merely a Conri. He was accepted into the ranks of the hopefuls, yes, but he was still at the bottom of the food chain when he came to the high court. Cel was a shark, he was minnow.

Nevertheless, the King smiled and nodded happily, ”Excellent. Be you skilled with words or the blade, then?” He asked before his gaze drifted to Namiko. ”I misspoke, for there are other ways to achieve worth in my eyes.” His smirk coupled with a light chuckle was unsettling. Cel then broke the silence been them all with a snap of his fingers. A human garlanger came forth, “My lord.” Without looking Cel spoke quietly, ”Bring us all a glass of wine.” The servant nodded and moved to fetch the drinks.

”Genuine company is hard to come by when you are a king. Enjoy a drink with me; regale me with your life stories.” He sat back, most interested to hear what they would have to say.

[Jun]

Though Cel was certainly alluring, a characteristic of his Sidhe blood, Jun was not one to fall easily to aspects of the flesh. It was almost as if the male was blind to it- he could appreciate beauty, but he took it for what it was and nothing more. To Jun, a beautiful face meant nothing. He considered the flesh of a faerie – Sidhe, Nimbus or Garlanger – to be insignificant in the long run. Perhaps this was the reason Jun lacked any particular sexual drive. This mindset, combined with his past, particularly the amount of time he had spent in Sidhe…company…kept him from feeling anything more than usual appreciation in the presence of Cel.

Unfortunately, the way Cel carried himself and that unsettling chuckle drew up memories that Jun quickly suppressed. Cel was similar, though not strikingly so, to the faerie that still haunted Jun even now, and the Nimbus was astonished to suddenly find the inside of his palms sweating. Still, he let on nothing. Ever the master of masks, Jun faced Cel with his brilliant smile perfectly in place, his bright eyes suggesting none of the pain that bubbled beneath his exterior. He was impressed by his little brother’s restraint and even more so by the delicate tones of the woman Ren had brought with him. Though her presence had been unanticipated, it was not unwelcome. Jun would make sure to speak with her once they were done here.

Jun dipped his head at Cel’s question, ”I am quite proficient with both my King, though often I find words to be more wicked than the blade.” He did not follow Cel’s eyes as the King rested them on Namiko, though he did take note of it. Jun could practically feel the tenseness of his brother. Ren was wound as tight as the spring that kept his blade in place. In an effort to perhaps calm his brother, Jun placed a hand gently atop Ren’s right shoulder and transferred some of his weight onto the younger male, so that the side of his body lightly rested against Ren’s. He smiled at Cel the whole time, ”Though I must admit, my brother’s battle prowess far exceeds my own.” His hand gently squeezed Ren’s shoulder.

The King’s invitation was unexpected but welcomed. Though Jun had absolutely no intent to fill the King in on all the detail of his past, especially not those concerning the circumstances surrounding his previous departure from Alanor, Jun had plenty of tales he could recount. Slowly his hand slipped from Ren’s shoulder as he stepped forward, ”Though I was born in Alanor, my King, the few hundred years of my youth were spent refining my skills in politics. Still, my accomplishments during that time were few, so when my younger brother was born I decided that perhaps it would be best to try life in the human world.” Not exactly the truth, of course, but it would do.

”The realm of mortals is quite different from our own. I must admit, at first I was tempted to use my immortality as leverage over the humans, though in the end I refrained. Instead I lived amongst them, traveling and raising my brother in the manner of humans. Perhaps that is where his brazen attitude first developed.” He smiled softly, glancing back at his brother momentarily.

Jun paused as the servant returned, first serving the King and then offering each of them a glass. Jun dipped his head in silent gratitude. He did not immediately drink from the glass; he would wait to follow Cel’s lead in that case. Instead, he simply continued, ”We spent the vast majority of our time in Asia, specifically Japan. During the Edo period under the Tokugawa shogunate I spent time as a daimyou, ruling over my respective territory for close to thirty years before I was forced to fake my own death in order to maintain my human illusion.” He paused, briefly curious as to whether or not he should further elaborate the terms he used. He decided against it. If the King required an explanation, he could easily ask for it.

”From there we spent several years wandering before I entered the Shogunate directly and served as a member of the primary council. When the United States forced Japan to sign the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, subsequently resulting in the dissolution of the Shogunate, I left the primary political circle and began to examine the Western culture.” He glanced towards Ren and smiled softly, ”My open-ended views were not shared by my brother.” That was one time during their life-line that Jun and Ren had fought on separate sides- Ren as a young samurai fighting against so-called “westernization” and Jun preaching it. It had been an interesting battle, one of which Jun had not some much as conceded as decided that it was not worth bickering over.

”My brother and I took part in the colonization of Korea through various military means; myself as a strategic head, my brother as a warrior. Though we stayed there for quite some time, we quickly found ourselves back in Japan for World War One, which led us to Manchuria.” Jun paused, finally indulging himself in a sip of wine. He tilted his head every so slightly, sincerely hoping he wasn’t boring the King, ”Afterwards we spent a long stint of time in America, till tensions rising up to World War Two lead to my brother leaving me and heading back to Japan.” He shot Ren a glance. What had happened to Ren during the war was unknown to Jun. Ren refused to talk about it. While Jun had escaped camps in the US due to his slight glamour, he had been unable to contact his brother during the years they had been apart. It had been especially troubling to Jun after the atomic bombs had been dropped. When the war was over, Jun had been able to make his way to Japan, where he had eventually reunited with his brother on the southern island of Okinawa.

”We reunited shortly after the war and spent the next twenty or so years simply traveling before returning to Japan. Unfortunately by then the human world had grown boring. So I made the decision to inform my brother of his birth place and to bring him back here, to Alanor. While not much has changed, the faces that grace the Unseelie court are quite new, and so far I have not regretted my decision.” He raised his glass slightly to Cel and then proceeded to take a sip. As he lowered it Jun smiled, ”I hope I have not bored you. The tale of my affairs on Earth cannot be as exciting as the life you must have lived here, my King.” Humans were often less interesting. Though their mannerisms were quite different, the lack-luster magic-impaired quality of their world was not exactly a faerie’s cup of tea.

However, the King had asked, and Jun could be quite long-winded if he felt like it. He was quite sure that had he simply mentioned that his life was boring the King would have been quite unsatisfied. Still, the way he had spoken of his tale had made it seem quite grand. He had skimmed over several details – the King need not know of them – but his strength in story-telling, or, in this case it was more of a speech, was noteworthy. He had an attention-commanding presence, one shaped over hundreds of years of serving in both royalty and military back on Earth.

(ooc: long, but since there are other people in the thread I figured I would get his –life- story out of the way haha).

[Ren]

At King Cel’s chuckle, Ren tensed visibly, his eyes narrowing just a tad as he gazed upon the King. The veiled message behind Cel’s words was unsettling and Ren’s stomach twisted. He found his body instinctually leaning closer to Namiko. Though his mind recognized his motion as a method of ensuring protection for the woman, deep down inside Ren had claimed Namiko as his. This was an unspoken claim, one that even Ren knew nothing about, but it was there and Cel’s presence was coaxing forth the desire to make Ren’s claim known.

Ren was so focused in on Cel that he hardly noticed Jun begin to speak. It wasn’t until his brother dropped a hand onto his right shoulder that Ren jolted out of his little bout of predatory concentration. In fact, he visibly twitched and jerked his head to the side to get a look at his brother. His first instinct was to object to the grip, but when he met Jun’s eyes, Ren did indeed calm down. He drew in a shaky breath, suddenly aware of the fact that his chest had constricted so much that he had lacked steady breathing for the last several moments. Slowly the tension in his muscles began to drain and his body continuously relaxed throughout Jun’s story.

Still, he maintained his close proximity to Namiko as he listened to Jun recount their experiences on Earth. His eyes, apathetic, steadily looked on, almost as if he were reliving his past as Jun spoke of it. In essence he was; blood-stained memories surfaced wafted across his senses. He could practically hear his sword cut through flesh and the subsequent screams. The smell of blood filled his nostrils and Ren tilted his head ever so slightly, content to linger amongst those memories.

There were a few upsets of course. Ren’s time spent as a samurai in the Boshin war had been quite satisfactory. He had been fighting for a cause that he had faithfully believed in. From there he had served in his country’s military with pride, uncaring of who he bowed to or served since he knew full well that he was more than capable of destroying them if he so felt like it. Everything had merely been a means of achieving his goals. Unfortunately, his time spent in the military during World War Two had not been entirely satisfactory. Ren had been part of the troops involved in the Nanjing massacre. That was one of the few times Ren had actually attacked his own side, eventually fleeing from the war to reunite with his brother. Ren had never told Jun of his involvement or the war crimes he had committed. He was ashamed of them.

When Jun finished Ren was silent for quite some time before he realized it was quite possibly time for him to say something. He stared down at his wine glass blankly, unaware of when and how it had ended up in his hand. After a few moments he lifted his eyes back towards Cel and spoke, ”I killed. A lot of people.” Quite possibly thousands. ”It was what I was…am still good at. The rest of my history is the same as his.” Ren’s voice was cold and hard, with a distinct sense of confidence and….was that pride? His rust-swirled eyes surveyed Cel calmly, as if for the first time actually seeing him. Ren was suddenly aware of a striking desire to return to his past, where he actually had purpose.

[Namiko]

Namiko had cast her eyes downwards as Cel addressed Jun directly. She wasn't particularly skilled with either, though her words would be her choice if it came down to it. For the first time in a while she realized how much she had to learn and improve yet. She could feel the King shift his attention and stood a bit straighter when he mentioned other ways to attain his approval. She dipped her head respectfully, willing to do anything to make up for her lack of courtly usefulness. Apparently the undertones of his comment were lost on her, for she was a still and calm pond beside Ren's internal tsunami.

Jun bravely began to explain his history outside of Alanor and she listened with rapt interest, being able to remember snippets of her own memories corresponding with her times in the very same country, what were the odds? They both served as very important figures throughout the eras, and they would probably not recognize her position. She had been mostly reputable amongst other women for her abilities. She would have been more popular with the men, except that she was a bit to chaste to keep up with the revolution of the Geiko and what they became in time.

Just as Ren had started to visibly relax, her fingers glided secretively down his forearm in what was meant to be a calming and concerned motion. She didn't understand his anger but would make a point to ask about it later. While Ren had already claimed her in his mind, she had thought quite the opposite. With no success whatsoever, she'd been trying to swallow and bypass her affections and attraction to him, believing that he would rather keep a brotherly-sisterly connection towards her.

Choosing not to speak on their histories, less she look like an idiot for revealing how little she actually knew about both men, she simply spoke up about her own. The accepted wine perched gracefully between her hands, untouched and with little intention of being drank at all. But it was calming to look into the depths while she gathered the courage to speak.

"I, too, lived for a great while in Japan. In the less modern times, I trained as a Maiko and traveled throughout the southern prefectures practicing my dance, musical arts, and mm... otemae." She wasn't sure how to describe it in terms for those unfamiliar with Japanese but hoped it wouldn't be that important. "Using my glamour, I was able to fit in well, and used my travels as an excuse to age for when I returned to northern Japan. I became a Geiko, but due to the... modernization of the practice, I was unable to continue." Her hands fidgeted with the glass uneasily. "I was not comfortable keeping the company of the warriors and their concepts of consent." Many a lord had tried to coax her along as a mistress, and her popularity had waned as she declined and began to cause conflict.

"I came to Alanor briefly with my older sister at that time, she had been a warrior using her glamour to masquerade as a man." A small smile twitched at the corner of her mouth, but she tried to keep her composure. "We had a... falling out, and I went back to Japan. I joined high schools to pass the time and gain modern culture experience. After graduating three times under a few different names, I joined some universities. I got a little lonely of human company though... so I decided to come to Alanor." To find people who could age with her. To not have to change her name with every new group of people she met. It was tiring. She'd only ever told two close friends who and what she was, and they had accepted her, but had to part ways to avoid the suspicion of their parents.

She looked to the two brothers and back to the King with a soft smile. "Not the most exciting, I apologize."

[King Cel]

Cel listened with an attentive ear and a fixed gaze. Stories of the human world never interested him despite the fact he had been raised outside of Alanor. Yet the world Cel knew outside of Alanor was very different than the one most knew. Queen Andais had never been a lover of humans either, and though she had raised him in their realm she did rarely kept them as company. It was quite the contrary actually, as Cel had been raised amongst lukoi, vampires and necromancers. The company his mother had kept while in the human world was never quite up to par with sidhe standards, but the creatures were much more tolerable than humans. Those creatures at least enjoyed some of life’s finer pleasures, things humans considered taboo.

Jun’s story was drawn out, full of details as Cel had expected from a man who claimed to be more adept with the spoken word than the sword. The King had been bored by the tale of human struggles but came away from Jun’s story with an accurate picture of what the man was capable of and what type of asset he would be to the court. Ren’s story coaxed a chuckle from Cel and he raised his glass to the warrior. Ren’s skill would have to be tested at a later date before Cel learned what he was capable of.

He took a sip of his wine before Namiko. Her story was much more flesh out than Ren’s but not quite as informative as Jun’s. Though from her words he gathered she was not as loose a woman as her previous profession seemingly demanded. This thought brought a twinkle to his eye. He loved challenges. Yet he spoke of none of this and when her story came to an end he stood. The roses jarred to life at the sudden stirring of their master.

He raised his glass, ”Few stories enamor an audience more than the orator. No need for either of you to apologize.” He walked towards the trio, the leather shoes clicking loudly on the walk way. He stopped in front of Jun but let his gaze pass over all of them. ”In coming to me, in pledging your loyalty to this court you place all other bonds beneath this one. Be you politician.” He looked at Jun and to Ren. ” Or a warrior, your loyalties must be with the court.”

He moved to Namiko who he studied with his dark sapphire eyes. He breathed lightly and then gazed to Ren. He had noticed the way the two interacted, however subtle those interactions might have been. Ren’s words had been vague and offered him little to go by. He’d have to test the man. He stepped even closer to Namiko and lifted a hand to stroke her hair, ”And what you offer me, Namiko. These two, one offers a keen blade and the other a sharp mind. What can you give the Prince of Flesh and Darkness?” His words were liquid silk, a tone meant to insight feelings of lust and carnality. He oozed sex.

[Jun]

As Ren ‘related’ his tale, Jun bit the inside of his cheek in to keep from verbally reprimanding the boy. He wasn’t angry with how little Ren spoke per say, he was more frustrated by his own failures as a teacher. Obviously, over the past hundreds of years, Jun had attempted to properly educate the boy in the manners of the court. He had hoped that Ren had more of his mother’s blood in him than his fathers – she had been much more reserved and naïve, not unlike Namiko. Still, as the years passed and Jun watched Ren grow a superiority complex, the older Nimbus had come to the decision that time in Alanor was the only way to rectify Ren’s little personality ‘disorder,’ as Jun had so classified it.

When it came time for Namiko to speak, Jun shifted his eyes towards her to finally get a firm grasp on how she appeared. The little female was stunning; her petite form possessing an innocent flare that Jun knew a man like Cel would find intriguing. It was no wonder his brother had taken a fancy to this female. Jun inwardly smiled, a bit of light dancing in his golden flecked eyes – perhaps he and his brother were more alike than he thought.

When King Cel stood and headed towards them, Jun dipped his head ever so slightly in response, his voice slipping from his mouth in a cordial manner, ”Of course, my King.” King Cel’s words were not misconstrued, and though Jun pledged his loyalty to the court above all else with little hesitation, the words that came from his mouth were nothing short of a lie. Perhaps it was subconscious more than conscious, as Jun typically dedicated himself to his political allegiance before family, but in reality, should the court do anything to threaten the life of his brother, Jun would leave without a second thought. Ultimately, loyalty to blood came first. Until then, Jun would be Cel’s to command.

What came next was not unexpected. Jun knew a man like Cel would notice Ren’s little display of possessiveness even without knowing Ren himself. Jun’s smile slipped from his face, his expression turning somber as his hand casually reached out to grasp a hold of Ren’s right wrist - the wrist housing his favorite weapon. Though Jun knew Ren would know better than to outright attack the Monarch, Jun had never truly seen Ren in such a position before.

[Ren]

Ren was, needless to say, a bit surprised by Namiko’s past. Until now they had not really discussed such things – mainly because he had been hesitant to admit that his hands were literally soaked in the blood of innocents. Still, her complexity did nothing but bring a smile to his eyes as he suddenly realized his desire to know everything about her. Namiko fascinated Ren in a way he had never been fascinated before.

It wasn’t until Cel moved that Ren realized he had been staring at Namiko for the duration of her speech. His vision sharply snapped back towards Cel as the King spoke. Though Ren was reckless, not unlike a teenager, hundreds upon hundreds of years had given him life experience that had sharpened his mind alongside his sword. Ren was no fool. He knew the game Cel was playing here, and there was no fucking way he was about to let the King get away with it.

Jun’s precaution was unnecessary. Though Ren’s body visibly tensed, he made no move to physically assault the King. Years of experience on the battlefield had taught him to play to what he knew of his enemy. Cel was still an unknown, an enigma the nevertheless resonated power. Thus, instead of lunging onto the male as Ren would have done in the human world. The boy simply shifted to the side, rotating his body so that he drew closer to the King, practically invading his personal space. His voice was level as he spoke, dangerously cold and tensely restrained, ”Why?” He was, of course, referring to what the King had said moments before he had chosen to address Namiko. ”You ask that we give up all other bonds of loyalty – those to blood and love – in order to serve you and your court. What do you have to offer that would mandate such extensive servitude?”

He was out of line, that much was for sure, but his question had merit, and it wasn't entirely challenging in nature - Ren was actually curious, in a way. Ren also wasn’t about to back down from this obvious affront. If Cel had simply addressed Namiko normally, without obvious intent to distress Ren, Ren would have quite possibly developed a bout of respect for the man before him. He probably wouldn’t have regretted pledging loyalty to the court either, as he now was. ”Furthermore, is it your intention to cause your constituents pain? To make them dislike you?” Ren fought to control his breathing. By now blood had rushed to his head, flooding his ears with a dull roar. It was all he could do to keep his voice level, though a slight waver penetrated it now and then.

[Namiko]

Jun spoke elegantly, and seemed to be a more mature version of Ren. Controlled, cool, confident, charming. They had a lot of similarities, but Ren had a more youthful way of reacting to things which probably wouldn't suit Jun's classy demeanor. He reminded her of someone, actually.

Namiko suddenly felt the pressure of Cel's words as he stalked towards them and spoke. Lowering her gaze, for it was almost impossible to think while looking at him, she suddenly felt a pang of worry. Her sister... did this mean that after pledging her allegiance here, they couldn't meet again? What were the restrictions regarding that? She didn't know... did Reila even want to meet her? She didn't want that answer yet.

Her head snapped up sharply when she heard her name, flushing red at the King's very correct statement. They had much to offer, but what could she give? "I'm afraid my only real talents are entertainment... I'm not the best fighter. But I would give what I can to serve my court." It seemed she was a touch oblivious to what Cel was implying, but took it as a literal demand of her usefulness. Her eyes flickered downwards again and she could suddenly feel the red hot sensation of Ren's anger from beside her.

She'd been able to read him more and more lately, and his feelings had started to give her slight sensations. This was anything but slight. Noting the graceful movement of Jun's hand, she wondered why it was that Ren needed to be suddenly restrained. He didn't immediately make any movements, but she could almost taste his restraint.

At his words, her mouth parted in surprise, and she was almost too frightened to look at Cel's reaction. Ren's question wasn't exactly out of place... they were giving up a lot for their ruler, shouldn't they be certain he was worth sacrificing for? She had just been following their lead like a timid sheep, but now she was starting to really consider the whole situation.

When Ren finished speaking, her eyes shone with worry. To make them hate Cel? What had he done? She suddenly had the sensation that something had gone very over her head, and it made her distinctly uncomfortable. Mentally, she rewound everything Cel had said, and tried to pinpoint it. Ren hadn't been angry until the King had spoken to her... was he jealous? Cel's words had oozed a sort of sensuality, but Ren should have known it wasn't her taste anyway. Her fingers lightly tailed up and down his forearm comfortingly again, eyes urging him to be careful.

"Ren..." She whispered it gently, using the contact to ease her own worries as well. It was a recent thing, establishing touch of any kind, and she definitely took advantage of exploring it today. Her fears of his rejection or shrinking away from her touch were overwhelmed by the need to feel protected by him.